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Festivals
The Very Grand World Council of Clowns 2027 – International Clown Festival in Niort
From 21 to 23 may 2027
Very Grand World Council of Clowns
Price
2027 Prices : A venir
The Very Grand World Council of Clowns returns to Niort, in the Deux-Sèvres region, on Friday, May 21, Saturday, May 22, and Sunday, May 23, 2027, for another edition of this major event dedicated to clowning in all its forms. For three days, downtown Niort will host the festival across five different venues, transforming the city into a vast playground for artists, volunteers, and the public. The detailed program and the five specific locations are yet to be announced by the organizers.
Created in 2003 in Niort by Les Matapeste, the Very Grand World Council of Clowns is organized as an international biennial. More than just a series of performances, the project was conceived as a true gathering around contemporary clowning, allowing artists from very different backgrounds, cultures, and aesthetics to meet and compare their practices. In two decades, 250 different clowns representing 29 nationalities have participated in the festival. More than 100 towns and villages in the region have also been involved in its history through the International Clown Caravan.
One of the festival's distinctive features lies precisely in its commitment to showcasing the full diversity of clowning. There is no single model here: the Très Grand Conseil celebrates the presence of silent clowns as well as talkative ones, intimate characters as well as boisterous performers, those who instantly charm the audience as well as those who enjoy challenging and provoking them. Some performances are geared towards children and families, while others explore a clowning style more suited to adult audiences. This artistic diversity has been a hallmark of the Niort festival since its inception.
The festival thus lies at the crossroads of clowning, circus, theatre, and live performance, with particular attention paid to the artists' personalities and their direct relationship with the audience. Humor naturally occupies a central place, but clowning is also considered a way to see the world differently, to question society, and to foster encounters. From its inception, the Matapeste project aimed to promote clowning in all its diverse forms, as well as its social and political dimensions.
An international dimension is also central to its history. Les Matapeste, a Niort-based company founded in 1978, has developed numerous exchanges and collaborations around the world throughout its history, touring in over 50 countries and undertaking projects with artists from Cuba, Mexico, Mali, Vietnam, China, Namibia, Russia, Madagascar, and Turkey, among others. It was within this dynamic of openness and exchange that the idea for a world clown festival in Niort was born in 2003.
The event also has a strong popular, participatory, and intergenerational dimension. The Association of the Very Grand World Council of Clowns now brings together nearly one hundred volunteers and about twenty amateur clowns. These volunteers actively participate in the life of the festival: welcoming the public, supporting performance venues, providing food and drink, running the bar, and organizing the various spaces. The association emphasizes conviviality, mutual support, and the passing on of knowledge as essential elements of the event's identity.
Amateur clowns also have a place in this adventure. Throughout the year, the association offers an amateur clown workshop, designed as a laboratory for experimentation, creation, and preparation of performances. The Sorties d'nez group, in particular, contributes to the entertainment in the Clown Village during the festival. This presence of amateurs alongside professional artists reinforces the collective and vibrant nature of the event.
The 2027 edition, however, marks a new chapter in the festival's history. Until 2023, Les Matapeste managed its artistic direction and operations. With the company ceasing its activities in 2025, the Très Grand Conseil Mondial des Clowns (TGCMC) is now run directly by the Association du TGCMC, with the support of the City of Niort. The association had already taken over the management of the festival and its artistic direction for the 2025 edition.
The festival continues its journey with a format described as more streamlined, but still friendly and fun, now based in downtown Niort. For the 2027 edition, the organizers are announcing three full days of festivities spread across five locations.
It's also important to distinguish the festival from the renowned International Clown Caravan, historically closely linked to the Grand World Council of Clowns. This caravan used to travel through the towns and neighborhoods of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, bringing shows, parades, and encounters directly to the residents. Since 2026, the Caravan has been run independently of the festival by the Clowns Toujours association. Therefore, it should not be presented as automatically part of the 2027 festival program.
Throughout its history, the Very Grand World Council of Clowns has developed a significant cultural and associative network: nearly 120 French and international partners, from the artistic, social, educational, sporting, institutional, disability, and health sectors, have supported its various editions. This openness helps give the festival an identity that extends far beyond the simple framework of a performance event.
For fans of contemporary clowning, circus and live performance, the May 2027 event will be an opportunity to discover different clowning styles in Niort, from poetic universes to the most burlesque or offbeat forms, in the collective atmosphere that has characterized the Très Grand Conseil since its creation.
🎪 The 2027 arts program has not yet been published. The names of the companies and guest clowns, the times, the five exact downtown locations, and ticket prices will therefore be finalized upon announcement. I obviously prefer to leave these details pending rather than reuse the 2025 program and give the impression that it applies to 2027.
Created in 2003 in Niort by Les Matapeste, the Very Grand World Council of Clowns is organized as an international biennial. More than just a series of performances, the project was conceived as a true gathering around contemporary clowning, allowing artists from very different backgrounds, cultures, and aesthetics to meet and compare their practices. In two decades, 250 different clowns representing 29 nationalities have participated in the festival. More than 100 towns and villages in the region have also been involved in its history through the International Clown Caravan.
One of the festival's distinctive features lies precisely in its commitment to showcasing the full diversity of clowning. There is no single model here: the Très Grand Conseil celebrates the presence of silent clowns as well as talkative ones, intimate characters as well as boisterous performers, those who instantly charm the audience as well as those who enjoy challenging and provoking them. Some performances are geared towards children and families, while others explore a clowning style more suited to adult audiences. This artistic diversity has been a hallmark of the Niort festival since its inception.
The festival thus lies at the crossroads of clowning, circus, theatre, and live performance, with particular attention paid to the artists' personalities and their direct relationship with the audience. Humor naturally occupies a central place, but clowning is also considered a way to see the world differently, to question society, and to foster encounters. From its inception, the Matapeste project aimed to promote clowning in all its diverse forms, as well as its social and political dimensions.
An international dimension is also central to its history. Les Matapeste, a Niort-based company founded in 1978, has developed numerous exchanges and collaborations around the world throughout its history, touring in over 50 countries and undertaking projects with artists from Cuba, Mexico, Mali, Vietnam, China, Namibia, Russia, Madagascar, and Turkey, among others. It was within this dynamic of openness and exchange that the idea for a world clown festival in Niort was born in 2003.
The event also has a strong popular, participatory, and intergenerational dimension. The Association of the Very Grand World Council of Clowns now brings together nearly one hundred volunteers and about twenty amateur clowns. These volunteers actively participate in the life of the festival: welcoming the public, supporting performance venues, providing food and drink, running the bar, and organizing the various spaces. The association emphasizes conviviality, mutual support, and the passing on of knowledge as essential elements of the event's identity.
Amateur clowns also have a place in this adventure. Throughout the year, the association offers an amateur clown workshop, designed as a laboratory for experimentation, creation, and preparation of performances. The Sorties d'nez group, in particular, contributes to the entertainment in the Clown Village during the festival. This presence of amateurs alongside professional artists reinforces the collective and vibrant nature of the event.
The 2027 edition, however, marks a new chapter in the festival's history. Until 2023, Les Matapeste managed its artistic direction and operations. With the company ceasing its activities in 2025, the Très Grand Conseil Mondial des Clowns (TGCMC) is now run directly by the Association du TGCMC, with the support of the City of Niort. The association had already taken over the management of the festival and its artistic direction for the 2025 edition.
The festival continues its journey with a format described as more streamlined, but still friendly and fun, now based in downtown Niort. For the 2027 edition, the organizers are announcing three full days of festivities spread across five locations.
It's also important to distinguish the festival from the renowned International Clown Caravan, historically closely linked to the Grand World Council of Clowns. This caravan used to travel through the towns and neighborhoods of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, bringing shows, parades, and encounters directly to the residents. Since 2026, the Caravan has been run independently of the festival by the Clowns Toujours association. Therefore, it should not be presented as automatically part of the 2027 festival program.
Throughout its history, the Very Grand World Council of Clowns has developed a significant cultural and associative network: nearly 120 French and international partners, from the artistic, social, educational, sporting, institutional, disability, and health sectors, have supported its various editions. This openness helps give the festival an identity that extends far beyond the simple framework of a performance event.
For fans of contemporary clowning, circus and live performance, the May 2027 event will be an opportunity to discover different clowning styles in Niort, from poetic universes to the most burlesque or offbeat forms, in the collective atmosphere that has characterized the Très Grand Conseil since its creation.
🎪 The 2027 arts program has not yet been published. The names of the companies and guest clowns, the times, the five exact downtown locations, and ticket prices will therefore be finalized upon announcement. I obviously prefer to leave these details pending rather than reuse the 2025 program and give the impression that it applies to 2027.
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